Lunar New Year, Mandarin Chinese, Novice-Mid, High
Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner. — The Pathways Project
About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository
The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
How to use the WLRC Repository’s Activities:
1. Use the Activity as is:
Before you begin:
- Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
- Be sure to read through the activity description, and review the list of required materials. You will notice that the activity materials are also highlighted in yellow throughout the activity instructions.
If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu.
2. Remix for Your Language Classroom:
When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.
Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials for your classroom, follow the instructions below:
- Google Slideshows:
- To begin, go to File -> Copy to create an editable version of the slideshow.
- Once finished with your changes, please complete the following steps to share:
- Click on Share
- Who Has Access
- Ensure link sharing is on and allow external access.
- Materials Saved as PDF: Please email pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu and we will provide you with an editable copy. Please allow up to two business days for a response. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided.
3. Adapt for Another Language:
- See the linked English Version at the top of the activity (English Version may not be available for all activities)
Lunar New Year (Novice-Mid/High)
Description:
In this activity, students will watch a series of short videos about traditions and celebrations surrounding Lunar New Year . After each video, students will answer and talk about a few discussion questions relating to the videos.
Proficiency Level:
Novice Mid/ High
Keywords:
China, real-world practice, celebrations, Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year, Holidays, traditions, Chinese
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:
- I can understand the importance of celebrations in my own and other cultures
- I can use simple phrases and sentences to talk about past experiences
- I can discuss my preferences about food
NCSSFL-ACTFL World-Readiness Standards
- Standard 1.1 - Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions in Chinese
- Standard 1.2 - Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics in Chinese
- Standard 2.1 - Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures of the Chinese-speaking world
- Standard 4.2 - Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of Chinese culture with their own
Idaho State World Language Standards:
- COMM 1.1 - Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions
- COMM 2.1 - Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
- CLTR 1.1 - Analyze the cultural practices/patterns of behavior accepted as the societal norm in the target culture.
- CLTR 1.3 - Function appropriately in diverse contexts within the target culture.
- CLTR 2.1 - Analyze the significance of a product (art, music, literature, etc...) in a target culture.
Materials Needed:
Warm-up
1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today’s activity and spend some time to review appearances.
Main Activity
- Follow the slide show to watch each video (videos are only about 5-7 minutes each but feel free to clip them to accommodate for time).
- After Each video, ask students the discussion questions shown on the slides
- Go around in the group and make sure everyone has answered the question. Additionally, encourage students to respond in FULL SENTENCES.
- For instance, if the question is “你吃过新年菜吗？” "Have you eaten Chinese New Year cuisine?" encourage students to use a full phrase like “我没吃过。” "I haven't eaten it before."
- If students indicate YES to any questions, feel free to ask some simple follow up “when, where, with who” questions to encourage more conversation!!!
End of lab:
• Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence.
(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.)
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs!
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:
- I can understand the importance of celebrations in my own and other cultures
- I can use simple phrases and sentences to talk about past experiences
- I can discuss my preferences about food
Where are we? Rate yourself on the weekly Can-Do Statements using this scale: I get it!, I got it!, I kind of get it..., I don't get it...